As is well known to those skilled in the art, thick calluses or corns are typically formed on the palms of the hands or the soles of the feet when the epidermis of the palms or the soles becomes partially keratinized due to frequently repeated contact of the hands or feet with a variety of hard or coarse surfaces over time. For example, calluses on the hands are often caused by the regular handling of an object that puts pressure on the hand, such as tools or sports equipment. Calluses and corns on the feet are often caused by pressure from footwear such as tight shoes, high-heeled shoes, loose shoes, and thin-sole shoes. The repeated pressure due to contact causes the skin to die and form a hard, protective surface.
Calluses and corns can cause discomfort and can also become painful. Moreover, calluses or corns crack due to, for example, dry or cold weather, thus allowing the dermis under the epidermis to be damaged. Therefore, it is often necessary to periodically remove such calluses or corns from the palms of the hands or soles of the feet. Such removal of calluses or corns from the hands or feet is commonly called “a pedicure.”
During a pedicure, calluses and dry, flaky skin are abraded or scraped from the bottom of the feet. Typically, the feet are soaked in a warm bath and/or a topical formula is applied to soften the skin. Once the warm water and/or a topical formula has softened the skin on the feet, the bottoms of the feet are manually scrubbed with either a pedicure sander comprised of an abrasive sanding pad attached to a durable plastic handle, a callus rasp, or a pumice stone. Additionally, some technicians will use a corn and callus plane comprised of a stainless steel head with a raised shaving blade to slice thick, tough callus from the feet.
These conventional methods and apparatuses for callus removal are time consuming, laborious, inefficient, and often painful. Additionally, some of the conventional instruments present hazards. In particular, a callus plane may cause serious injury if used improperly. Accordingly, to reduce the risks and deleterious effects of the manual process, attempts have been made to automate the process of removing skin imperfections from the feet and hands. For example, several electrically powered rotary devices with sandpaper-like contact surfaces have been devised for grooming hands and feet, one such device being sold under the brand name “Pedi-Smooth.”